Get Ready for New Water Management Tactics This Summer

They've placed notices in water bills and on the town's website. They've called in lawn care professionals to explain how to set up sprinklers under the new rules, answered questions on the phone, and alerted the media. Susan Licardi, director of the North Kingstown Water Department, says town workers are doing everything they can think of to give residents a heads-up about new water limits that take effect July 1.

Now the North Kingstown Groundwater Committee is trying its hand with a workshop, "Water Rights – Making Friends with Your New Water Regulations."

The workshop takes place at 7 p.m. Wed., April 13, at the Cold Spring Community Center on Beach Street.

According to the committee, "The workshop will provide residents and businesses with helpful information on steps you can take to reduce your water costs, the benefits and resources for performing water audits, and how water conservation can still support a green lawn, vibrant flowers and healthy shrubbery."

The workshop will also offer speakers who will explain and take questions on more expertly managing lawn and landscape watering. Refreshments will be served.

Late last year North Kingstown , $10 per thousand gallons for anyone whose meter records more than 75,000 gallons used in a quarter. The next highest rate is $4.91 for usage between 40,000 and 75,000 gallons.

The town also was divided into two irrigations district. Between July 1 and September 1, water users east of Route 1/Post Road/Tower Hill Road can use sprinklers only on Mondays and Thursdays. Those west of that dividing line may use sprinklers Tuesdays and Fridays.

Licardi emphasizes that the new rules are designed to protect the pumping capacity of the North Kingstown water system, which supplies 94 percent of the town.

Capacity is plentiful most of  the year, but in the summer, . As an example, she cites one unnamed customer whose water use totaled 22,000 gallons most quarters. But in the summer quarter, water usage rose to 258,000 gallons.

"Eighty percent of North Kingstown customers are residential and we believe that most of the increased summer water use is lawn watering," Licardi said.

"If customers are using more water than we can pump, the demand is met with water coming out of the storage tanks.  If demand exceeds pumping capacity for extended periods it becomes difficult to refill the storage tanks, which could compromise the ability to fight fires (fire flow) and could result in low pressure in the distribution system," she explained.

"You may recall this past summer this happened in South Kingstown/Narragansett on the 4th of July weekend. When pressure in a water distribution system drops below 20 psi, the Rhode Island Department of Health requires that a boil water advisory be issued. Our goal is to meet water works standards and keep peak demand at or preferably below our pumping capacity."